Category Archives: “Looking Back”

Highway Cafés: “Looking Back”

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Reprinted here by special permission of the author, Cindy Beckman, a retired Conway High School history teacher who writes local history.

In the 1940s, Hwy. 65 was re-routed away from downtown. Its new path followed Harkrider Street through Conway before it continued northward through Greenbrier to Damascus.

Hwy. 64, coming from the east, merged with Hwy. 65, coming from the south, at Oak and Harkrider and then split again at what locals called the “Y” with 64 going west and 65 continuing north. The “Y” is still evident in front of Wal-Mart Supercenter.

The development of this new thoroughfare and the rise of the automobile led to Continue reading →

Shopping for Shoes: “Looking Back”

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Reprinted here by special permission of the author, Cindy Beckman, a retired Conway High School history teacher who writes local history.

Shopping for shoes was always a special occasion. We usually had to have new shoes in the fall when school started because our feet grew while we were running barefoot all summer. We also had to have new dress shoes in the spring to match that perfect Easter outfit Mom had picked out at Jack and Jill’s.

Blue Ribbon Shoes Continue reading →

Historical War Cannon Scrapped: “Looking Back”

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Note: In September, 1942, as the United States was mobilizing for World War II, several campaigns were launched to help support the war effort. One of those campaigns was to collect all usable scrap iron. This story (which I have paraphrased) appeared in the September 3, 1942 edition of the Log Cabin Weekly newspaper:

Mrs. Ida Baridon Frauenthal, wife of Joseph Frauenthal, donated a Civil War cannon Continue reading →

Downtown Cafés: “Looking Back”

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Reprinted here by special permission of the author, Cindy Beckman, a retired Conway High School history teacher who writes local history.

In the 1940s and 1950s, there were numerous cafes in downtown Conway. Some were opened before World War II but many of them got their start in the 1940s. Visitors had their favorites and many who shopped downtown during this time have fond memories of eating at their favorite café.

One of the oldest besides Goad’s Café was the Palace Café. Located at 804 Front Street (across Main Street from the Post Office), it was opened in Continue reading →

City Lumber and Massey Hardware: “Looking Back”

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Reprinted here by special permission of the author, Cindy Beckman, a retired Conway High School history teacher who writes local history.

There were several lumber and hardware establishments in downtown Conway at one time but two of the most memorable were City Lumber and Massey Hardware. City Lumber closed its doors in 1989 after 62 years while Massey Hardware closed in 1998 after 56 years.

City Lumber was the smallest of about five lumber companies Continue reading →